Topics to be explored include architectural education and architecture as it relates to the science of the brain

San Diego—Feb. 4, 2014—NewSchool of Architecture and Design (NSAD) announces a public lecture and discussion Feb. 19 by world-renowned Finnish architect, educator and critic Juhani Pallasmaa. The 1999 recipient of the International Union of Architects’ Jean Tschumi Prize for architectural criticism, Pallasmaa has written and lectured extensively throughout the world for more than 40 years on architecture and the visual arts, on environmental psychology, and on cultural philosophy. Since 2008, he has served on the jury for the Pritzker Prize for Architecture. The two scheduled events, free and open to the public, will take place at the NSAD auditorium, 1249 F Street in San Diego. The events include:

A Feb. 19 discussion from 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. with Pallasmaa and Michael A. Arbib, a University of Southern California professor, on the topic of “Hand and Symbol: A Dialogue between Architecture and the Science of the Brain.” The event will be moderated by Eduardo Macagno, a professor with a specialty in neurobiology at the University of California, San Diego. Arbib and Macagno both serve on the Board of Directors of the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture, a group with ties to NSAD. One of the Academy’s founders is NSAD Professor and Dean Emeritus Gilbert Cooke. Cooke, who also serves on the group’s Board of Directors, teaches a class at NSAD with Macagno on neuroscience and architecture. Members of the public are requested to register for the discussion at: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/hand-and-symbol-a-dialogue-between-architecture-the-science-of-the-brain-tickets-10499352847

Pallasmaa, whose titles include Architect SAFA, Hon. FAIA, Int FRIBA, Professor Emeritus, was dean and professor of architecture at the School of Architecture, Helsinki University of Technology from 1991-98. He has held visiting chairs of architecture at many institutions in the Americas and Europe, most recently at the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture in Taliesin West and at the American Academy in Rome. Pallasmaa is the author and editor of numerous books, including The Embodied Image (2011), The Thinking Hand (2009), Encounters: Architectural Essays (2006), The Aalto House (2003), Juhani Pallasmaa: Sensuous Minimalism (2002), The Architecture of Image (2001), The Villa Mairea (1998), The Eyes of the Skin (1996), and The Melnikov House (1996). The Eyes of the Skin, in particular, has become a standard text in studios and seminars around the world.

Pallasmaa’s architectural practice spans projects in urban design, building design, exhibition design, product design and graphic design. His built works can be found in Finland, France, Slovenia, Russia, Ethiopia, China, and the United States. Awards for his architectural work include the 2009 Arnold W. Brunner Memorial Prize in Architecture from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Finnish State Architecture Award, the Helsinki City Culture Award, the Fritz Schumacher Prize, and the Russian Federation of Architecture Award. Pallasmaa is an Honorary Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and an Honorary Member of the Royal Institute of British Architects.

About NewSchool of Architecture and DesignLocated in downtown San Diego, NewSchool of Architecture and Design (NSAD) prepares students for career success in design fields through an emphasis on interdisciplinary and global design skills, industry collaborations and real-world projects. The school’s programs include architecture, construction management, product design and interior design. The school also offers programs in digital media arts, game art, game programming and animation. For the past two years, DesignIntelligence has ranked NSAD among the top 10 undergraduate architecture schools in the western United States in its publication “America’s Best Architecture & Design Schools.” The school’s design environment provides inspiration for the school’s students and faculty, recognized for their work regionally and internationally, and NSAD students are prepared to work in a global and diverse work environment through the school’s collaborations with award-winning schools around the world such as Domus Academy in Milan, Italy and Media Design School in Auckland, New Zealand. NSAD is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS), a national accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, and NSAD’s Bachelor of Architecture, Master of Architecture and Executive Master of Architecture programs are accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). http://www.newschoolarch.edu/.